Minnesota Twins vs
Tampa Bay RaysPredictions & Preview

Twins set to take on Rays in Monday night showdown: Woods Richardson vs. Littell on the mound

In Monday night's MLB action, the Minnesota Twins (74-62) are set to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (67-69) in an intriguing American League matchup. Simeon Woods Richardson will take the mound for the Twins, while Zack Littell will pitch for the Rays. The game is scheduled to start at 6:50 ET at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. The current betting line favors Tampa Bay at -105, with Minnesota opening at -110.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Twins -105 | Rays -105
• Spread: Twins -1.5 (+155) | Rays +1.5 (-175)
• Total: Over/Under 8 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Minnesota will win straight-up is 51%.

Minnesota vs Tampa Bay Stats

Minnesota Twins

The Twins are currently in the thick of the American League Central division title race, trailing the first-place Guardians by 3.5 games. Despite being seen as underdogs, Minnesota is still very much in contention. Their recent 4-3 win over the Blue Jays was led by a go-ahead three-run homer from Royce Lewis. Pitcher Griffin Jax earned the win in relief, while Jhoan Duran recorded his 20th save of the year. Simeon Woods Richardson will make his 24th start of the season, holding a 5-3 record with a 3.85 ERA. Minnesota's power ranking is 15, with a solid offensive ranking of 9 but a defense ranking of 17. They currently have a 74-62 record for the season.

Tampa Bay Rays Analysis

The Tampa Bay Rays have faced challenges this season, including injuries and a low payroll compared to other MLB teams. Currently, they are 11.5 games out of first place in the American League East and 7.0 games behind the Royals for the wild card spot. In their last seven games, they have a record of 2-5 and have failed to win a series in their last four. The recent loss to the Padres was attributed to Manuel Rodriguez, who gave up the go-ahead run in the 9th inning. Offensively, the team struggled with just four hits in the game. Zack Littell will start the next game for the Rays and has been performing well, with a 5-8 record, 3.89 ERA, and 1.31 WHIP this season. Despite recent success, the team is 2-2 in Littell's last four starts. The Rays currently have a power ranking of 22 and rank 28th for offense, averaging 3.88 runs per game, and 14th for defense, giving up 4.36 points per game. In their last three matchups against Minnesota, they lost two out of three games.

Twins Favored in Rematch Against Rays With Same Pitching Matchup from Previous Close Game

Monday's upcoming game between the Rays and Twins will feature the same pitching matchup as their June 20th game, which the Rays won 7-6 in extra innings. The Twins are favored with -112 odds compared to the Rays at -102. The Twins are showing more promise as they push towards the playoffs, while the Rays have been struggling with a 5-8 record in their last 13 games. Simeon Woods Richardson performed well in their previous matchup, only allowing two earned runs on four hits over six innings. The Rays have a poor 3-17 record against him with a .529 OPS. While the game is expected to be close and exciting, my prediction is that the Twins will emerge victorious when all is said and done.

Sources: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]